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Internal pondus is a Labyrinth in which all erre who know our Subject asmany do, but not its Proportion. He who would effect any thing, mustprincipally learn this which is set down in Golden words, in BernardTrevisan his treatise of the Chymical Miracle: The Sulphur, saith he, whichis in the Mercury, and predominates not, is the Fire alone which governsthe whole Work; and he therefore that in these things would be a skillfulArtist, let him know how much Fire is beyond other Elements in subtility,and what a proportion of it will overcome all the rest. These Golden words,worthy to be ingraven in Marble, are the true foundation of our pondus.With Mercury as much then so subtil’d,One of the Sun, two of the moon,Till all together like pap be done.But there is an External proportion, which is as necessary as the other, orelse the Work will either for lack, or excess of moisture, be destroyed; andthat is thus: Take thy Body which without any equivocation is most pureGold, let it be exquisitely purged, then files or laminated, or calcined withMercury, as is vulgarly known; of this take one part, and of our Water(which is without equivocation Argent-vive animated, which we then callour Luna) two parts, mix them together in an Amalgama, and grind them ina Mortar of Glass, or on a Marble, till they become very soft, and all thegrettiness of the Body be subtilized with the Mercury, that they may seemto be one pap or paste, which we call Inceration.Then make the Mercury four to the Sun,Two to the Moon as it should be.Now pluck up your attention, for my speech will be difficult. When yourBody to your Mercury in outward proportion is one to two, then must yourMercury in its inward proportion be just opposite, that s, four to one, elseyou shall never make the Harmony that is good Musick; for do not think itis all one, with one and the same proportioned Mercury, to put either one ofthe Body or two of the Water, or one to three, or two to three, or three tofour; no verily, till you come to this, to measure your Lamp clibanically toyour Furnace, you are yet in the dark for Practice, though you may be truein Theory. I almost tremble to speak of this point, for it is the very wilde ofthose who study this Art, and cannot come to the end of their desires forwant of true information in this particular. Know then, that when thyMercury is to Sol in external pondus two to one, it must be as I said inrespect to its own internal qualities, four to the Sun to two of the Moon;therefore, saith Artephius, that our Water is of kin to the Sun and to theMoon, but more to the Sun then to the Moon: Note this well, that is four to79